In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. We also grow a smaller number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘JULY PRINCESS’.
The present variety was hybridized by us in 2000 as a first generation cross using “43P318” (unpatented) peach as the selected seed parent and ‘Snow Princess’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,570) peach as the selected pollen parent. Upon reaching maturity the fruit from this cross was harvested, and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified, germinated, and grown as seedlings on their own root in our greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy the seedlings were transplanted as a group to a cultivated area of our experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2006 we selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproductions were true to the original tree in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, ‘43P318’ peach (unpatented), by having a vigorous tree, by being self-fertile, and by producing peaches that are freestone in type, mostly red in skin color, and yellow in flesh color, but is quite distinguished therefrom by blooming much earlier, by requiring much less chilling, and by producing peaches that mature about thirty days earlier.
The present variety is similar to its pollen parent, ‘Snow Princess’ peach (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,570), by having a vigorous tree with large blossoms, by being self-fertile, and by producing freestone peaches that are mostly red to pink in skin color, globose in shape, and firm in texture, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is acidic instead of sub-acidic in flavor, that is yellow instead of white in flesh color, and that matures about twelve days earlier.
The present variety is most similar to ‘Red Princess’ peach (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,729) by having large blossoms, by being self-fertile, and by producing peaches that are mostly red in skin color, yellow in flesh color, fairly globose in shape, lightly acidic in flavor, and firm in texture, but is distinguished therefrom by requiring less chilling hours, and by producing fruit that is freestone instead of clingstone in type, that is somewhat smaller in size, that has a bitter instead of sweet kernel, and that ripens about eighteen days later.